Food in Season

WLR’s Tracy Dobson highlights this month’s Food In Season and gives you some healthy recipes to spice up your diet.

Food in Season: April

By WLR's Tracy Dobson

WATERCRESS

 

A member of the brassica family watercress has a bitter peppery flavour that is often used as a garnish but it is also delicious in salads and many savoury dishes.

For quite some time watercress has been referred to as a superfood and when you list all of the goodness it contains it is easy to understand why.

Health Benefits of Watercress

This leafy green plant is full of beta-carotene, which helps give us healthy eyes and skin.

It also contains more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach and a long list of vitamins including A, C & K.

Watercress also contains an array of antioxidants particularly zeaxanthin and lutein which can help reduce potentially damaging free radicals.

All this and it helps get you closer to the recommended 5 a day!

Preparation

Easily prepared by trimming the stems and rinsing under cold water.

Storage

As watercress is highly perishable and doesn't last long even when refrigerated, I would advise using it as soon as possible after purchase. You can refresh the leaves by submerging in iced-water.

Watercress Recipes

Couscous with Watercress & Tomato
Watercress Soup
Watercress & Pepper Frittata

 

Nutrition data per 100 g

Calories (kcal) 8.9
Carbohydrate (g) 1.0

Sugars (g) 0.2

Protein (g) 1.9
Fat (g) 0.1
Saturates (g) 0.0

Fibre (g) 0.4

Sodium (g) 0.0
Alcohol (g) 0.0
Fruit & Veg 1.1

 

 

You'll find 100s more low calorie recipes inside WLR, along with our massive food database and diary. Take a look at membership options.